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Merry Christmas greetings to one and all! As part of my “Mis-Matched to Miss Matched” dating series, I have penned yet another version of, The Twelve Days of Christmas, with my online dating twist. It’s destined to be a classic for sure!

My Twelve Days of Christmas

On the first day of Christmas, online dating gave to me, No man worth my membership fee.

On the second day of Christmas, online dating gave to me, Two e-mails from women, And no man worth my membership fee.

On the third day of Christmas, online dating gave to me, Three convicted felons, Two e-mails from women, And no man worth my membership fee.Continue reading →

Hello, Friends! Welcome to the ongoing saga of “Mis-Matched to Miss Matched.” Today’s dating tales of woe concern two men and their love affairs with alcohol.
The first bachelor passed the email and phone call tests. When I met him, there were a few red flags, but he seemed fun and easy to talk to. So, against my better judgment, I went on several dates with him.
He declared that he was working out 4-5 times a week, was living a healthy lifestyle and was going to lose more weight. He had already lost 100 pounds.
Although I did not observe him making healthy food selections, it was his drinking that bothered me. He did not stop at one or two drinks.
If you have been following me through this journey, you know I am a one-drink person when I am out, and I am the designated driver. I will not get into a car with someone who is legally drunk.
During our last date, I met him at his favorite restaurant. This place carried a special type of wine just for him. I learned that on our first date. That was a red flag, but I chose to overlook it.
He greeted me with a hello kiss. Then he proceeded to tell me how sick he was and how horrible he felt. The congestion in his chest was terrible. He held his chest and coughed. It sounded like bronchitis to me.
Backing away, I reacted, “Yikes, no more kisses for you until you’re well.”
He replied, “Oh, you’re one of those.”One of those? If you mean people who don’t want you contaminating them with all of your respiratory infection germs, yes, I’m one of those. Be considerate. Good Lord!
I sighed as I sat across from him.
Then he coughed and coughed, without covering his mouth.
I am sure I cringed as I shifted to the right. At least that way he was not coughing directly on me. I mentioned that he should be coughing into his elbow.
Eventually, he covered his mouth with his hand. But then he wanted me to hold that hand.Are you trying to get me sick on purpose?
Thank God I had antibacterial wipes.
While he enjoyed his third glass of wine, he saw I was agitated. He asked, “What’s on your mind?”Oh, buddy, you just asked the wrong question. I don’t think you really want to know. I’m thinking I’m going to catch this plague you have. And your drinking is bothering me. But since you asked…
“The amount you drink bothers me. Every time we’ve gone out, except one time, you’ve had a lot to drink. Not just one or two glasses of wine, but multiple glasses. I’m concerned.”
“I’m not an alcoholic.”
“Do you drink every day?”
“I usually don’t go out during the week.”
Not sure what that had to do with the price of tea in China, I replied, “Well, I won’t ride with a person who’s legally drunk. If you’re always going to drink like this, I will always have to drive.”
Defensively, he argued, “I am not drunk! Do I look drunk? Do I act drunk? Am I slurring my words?”
“No.” Because you have built up a tolerance.
He continued, “My friends drink hard liquor. I drink wine. It’s better. We’re here every Friday and Saturday night drinking at the bar. They drink hard liquor. I drink my wine.”Every Friday and Saturday? Drunk is still drunk, dude. Any cop will tell you that. So will a blood alcohol test.
I stated, “It doesn’t matter what you’re drinking. Alcohol is alcohol.”
“It’s just wine. And now you’re making me uncomfortable and self-conscious.”
“Sorry, you asked, and I had to say something because it’s making me uncomfortable.”
Dismissively, he responded, “You’re making something out of nothing. I’m not an alcoholic. You don’t drink wine, so you don’t understand.”What’s there to understand? Wine contains alcohol last time I checked.
Then he stopped the waitress and asked her for another glass of wine.Are you freaking kidding me? Way to show me you don’t have a drinking problem.
She emptied the contents of the bottle into his glass. This was glass number four.
As he drank, I got the “you’re not the boss of me” look and vibe.
I shook my head and ate my dinner.
I am not trying to be the boss of anybody. But drinking and driving is a serious issue. And I do not want to be with someone who drinks to excess all the time.
Then he said, “Next you’re going to tell me I can’t ride my motorcycle without a helmet.”Heavy sigh.
Annoyed, I said, “No, you can do whatever you want.”Obviously, because nothing I say matters anyway.
After he drained his glass, he asked the waitress for yet another glass.
She answered, “I emptied the bottle last time. Do you want me to open a new bottle for you?”
“Yes.”
If you are counting with me, this was glass number five.
Finally, dinner was over.
After that evening, my texts to him were short.
He texted, “So I’m assuming by your lack of communication and enthusiasm, you’ve lost interest and can’t get over my evil wine drinking ways.”You guessed right! That and your complete disregard for my welfare by spewing all over me and for not understanding why I would not want to put my life into the hands of someone who was legally drunk.
I wrote, “You disregarded my concern completely. I understood finishing the glass in front of you. Then you had her open another bottle. And you got defensive and dismissive. I can’t handle being with someone who drinks 5 glasses of wine in that short amount of time and disregards my feelings.”
“Actually it was 3 glasses and that hardly makes me an alcoholic…I wasn’t trying to dismiss you by ordering another glass but I was trying to make a point that I’m 52 years old and I’m pretty set in my ways.”
I was not going to argue about the number of glasses or about anything else for that matter. I was drinking water and clearly counted five glasses of wine.
So that was the end of that!

A friend attempted to help me in my quest for “Mr. Right.” She invited a friend, an extremely wealthy businessman, to meet us for drinks and a light dinner. We were sitting at the bar when he showed up three sheets to the wind.
Obviously, that was extremely disappointing, in and of itself.
And did I mention that he looked older than my parents? So, he had nothing working in his favor.
I was polite at first. But after I had heard the exact same story for the third time, I was mentally done. I tried to ignore him the best I could, but he kept hanging on me.
I caught the eye of a young, handsome guy a few seats away. I gave him my “help me” look. He laughed and looked away.Damn!
Without another option, I disappeared to the ladies’ room. And I stayed in there entirely too long. When I returned, “Tipsy” was sitting in my chair.Thank you, Jesus!
I quickly sat next to the handsome guy.
He looked up at me and smiled.
I smiled back. “I need you to save me.”
“I know. I saw the look.”
Exasperated, I threw up my hands. “But you didn’t save me.”
“Trust me, we’ve got your back.”
“Who’s ‘we’?”
“As soon as you left for the bathroom, I watched your drink. I was convinced that guy was going to put something in it.”
“Really?”
“Yes. He looks like that kind of guy. A real creeper.”
I laughed.
He continued, “And the bartender is watching out for you too. And the piano guy hasn’t taken his eyes off you all night.”
“Good to know I’m covered. Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.”
He wore a wedding band.Of course, the gorgeous ones are always married!
I said, “I know that you’re married, and I’m not hitting on you. I just need someone to talk to until he leaves.”
“No problem.”
We had a nice conversation. And when his wife and teenage daughter showed up, he introduced me to them. He explained the story. His daughter got wide-eyed when he said he thought the guy was going to drug my drink.Glad I could provide a teachable moment. Hopefully, she’ll remember this when she goes to parties.
This nice family even asked me if I wanted to join them at a booth for dinner.
“No, thank you. I don’t want to intrude.”
“If you change your mind…”
I shook their hands. “Thank you.”
My friend and Tipsy went out to smoke.
The bartender said, “You look like you could use that dessert now.”
I nodded. “Yes, please.”
I ate my chocolate dessert and talked to the bartender and the pianist.
Finally, it was time to leave.
My leather jacket was on the back of the businessman’s chair. He insisted on helping me with it.
As he slipped on the coat, he commented, “Oh, the leather is so soft.”
Then he reached around and grabbed my right breast.
Let me tell you something, dear readers. I have never, ever hit anyone. But at that moment, I really wanted to hit him.
It took every ounce of strength I had within me not to hit him.
I hear you screaming, “Why the hell not? Hit him! Slap him! For God’s sake, knee him!”
I was almost a head taller than him. He had been drinking steadily since he walked in. So, he was drunk as a skunk and unsteady on his feet. And I knew that if I hit him, his sorry geriatric ass would go down hard, very hard. And with my luck, he would have broken a hip. Then he and his army of lawyers would have had me arrested.
Friends, I would not do well in jail. Not for a single minute.
Instead, I will let karma take care of him. He will get what’s coming to him in the end.
In the meantime, I might kill him off in one of my books. Or not. I guess you will have to buy my next novel to find out…

If you or a loved one has a drinking problem, please get help. Here are a few organizations that can help you on the path to wellness.

If there was any doubt that my life is a Greek tragedy in the making, this episode of “Mis-Matched to Miss Matched” should solidify the notion in everyone’s minds.
This installment’s bachelor is a well-known businessman in this area. So, all I will say is that he was in his early 50s and had blond hair and blue eyes.
Initially, when he contacted me, I turned him down. One of the descriptors in his Match profile did not sit right with me. And I explained in my reply that descriptor was why I was turning him down.
He wrote me a long email in return, clarifying his position and dispelling any incorrect impressions I had. His arguments were good ones. So, I agreed to talk to him.
We talked and hit it off. We wanted to meet. However, he was in Florida vacationing with his kids. We would meet when he returned. Despite him being on vacation, we spoke every day.
Then, my dad had a heart attack. So, I was driving to New York as this intriguing man was about to drive back to Indiana.
God just loves messing with me.
My potential suitor understood, and we kept talking on the phone.
Finally, we were in the same city at the same time. So, after talking for almost three weeks, we met for dinner. We got along splendidly. Our likes and dislikes were the same in just about all areas, including politics and religion. That, in and of itself, was amazing.
He grew up on the East Coast, just like me. Loved to travel. Loved live theater and musicals! Yes, musicals! Where had he been hiding all of this time?
Well, most of the time, he was working, networking or attending his kids’ activities. He had the busiest calendar I had ever seen. He could not plan out more than a week ahead because meetings and events were constantly being added to his schedule by his assistant and his kids. But he swore he would make time for me. And he did try.
In the days that followed, we talked for hours on end, about everything and anything. The conversation never got stale or boring. The more we got to know one another, the more perfect we seemed for each other. The similarities were uncanny.
Drinking and smoking were not issues. Awesome!
His children were older. Another bonus.
He had no pets and had no intention of ever owning one. Thank you, Jesus!Pinch me already!
Anyway, everything was going pretty well until it was time to meet his friends. That’s when the bottom dropped out.
While Mr. Seemingly-Perfect did not have any pets, every single one of his friends did. These friends were his work colleagues as well as his personal friends. He spent almost all of his time with these people. And from what he told me about them, they were the best friends a person could ask for. I’m sure I would have agreed.
But the conundrum was that they all entertained in their houses. You know, where the animals lived.
If you have not read my previous posts on the subject, my allergic reaction to animals is anaphylactic. So, I can not be around animals. Extended exposure to them could literally kill me.
Meeting his friends out at a restaurant would have been fine. I suggested that. But in the long run, that would not have been feasible or sustainable, as they all loved to entertain at their homes. Each had an elaborate backyard oasis, fire pit, and/or boat, etc.
Then there was his buddy’s lake house. I absolutely love lake houses because I love sitting by a lake, looking out at the water and listening to the water lap up on the shore. And there’s nothing quite like watching the sun rise or set over the water.
That’s one of the biggest things I miss about living in New York. I really miss being close to a large body of water. Growing up minutes from Lake Ontario was a luxury I did not fully appreciate until I moved to Indiana, land of small, man-made lakes. But I digress…
Alas, there were always animals at his buddy’s lake house. The owner brought his pets and allowed everyone to bring their pets too. Well, just shoot me now and put me out of my misery.
I could not in good conscience ask him to pick between me and his friends. He’s known some of them for over twenty years. If I kept him from them, he would become resentful. And I would feel guilty.
And if he always went over to his friends’ houses and to the lake house without me, I would become resentful. And presumably, he would feel guilty.
We discussed the situation rationally. No compromise was suitable, and he picked his friends.
I will not lie. I am extremely disappointed. But let’s face it; I could never compete with them, the lifestyle to which he had grown accustomed, the boats and the lake house.
How pitiful is that? We can’t have a relationship because of other people’s pets.Heavy sigh.
Animals are truly the bane of my existence.

My quest to find a good, decent man is becoming epic in length. But I refuse to give up! So, here is the latest and greatest in my “Mis-Matched to Miss Matched” dating saga.

There once was a man who was prolific in poem and prose.
He had a quick wit. Let’s meet. Why not? Who knows?
Alas, his memory was lacking, he called me by the wrong name,
Despite me correcting him over and over. How totally lame.
Was this other woman his ex-girlfriend or an ex-wife?
I cared not, for I was cutting him out of my life.

The next eager bachelor was an eHarmonious man
Who unfortunately decided to try a product to self-tan.
Since he was not an Oompa Loompa, orange was an awful hue.
Why he did not realize this while looking in the mirror, I have no freaking clue.
However, it was his obnoxious behavior that upset me the most.
Being rude and insensitive caused him to end up as a jerk in this post.

Then there was a guy who promised me a special surprise.
When the big reveal occurred, I could hardly believe my eyes.
If I was watching a horror movie, I would have yelled for the girl to run.
Touring ramshackle buildings buried deep in the woods is not my idea of fun.
Any chemistry that might have existed was extinguished pretty fast.
What a huge letdown after being psyched up for an absolute blast.

After each date, to Mom, the obligatory email I did write,
So she wouldn’t be pacing the floor half of the night,
Worried that I was dead in a ditch or suffering an even worse fate.
“Home safe and sound.” Another zero of a date.
“A total waste of makeup,” is what I eventually would type.
It sums up the evening well without painfully boring details or hype.

So that, gentle readers, is all I have to tell.
Perhaps the month of October will cast an enchanting spell.
Could the eclipse of the blood moon help me find my “Mr. Right?”
Or will it bring more ghouls and goblins to give me an awful fright?
Those are the questions that I seek the answers for.
Stay tuned, my friends, you never know what’s in store!

Welcome to yet another crazy blog post about the Match.com men. This is my eighth entry of my “Mis-Matched to Miss Matched” series. The email exchanges never cease to amaze me.
The first man up was a retired bachelor, at the upper end of my range age. His profile picture screamed Hannibal Lecter, sans straight jacket.
“I had a dream about you last night. I couldn’t stop kissing your neck. I think it was the musk oil and your soft skin creating a sweet spot I couldn’t resist! Do you think that is a typical guy thought, or is it possible that women really are special to me? Just wondering… CyberCasanova.”What the ??? Typical guys do not think this way. Musk oil? Who talks about, much less dreams about, musk oil? As far as being special goes, maybe the kind of “special” that is tonight’s dinner entrée with fava beans and Chianti.
I don’t know about you, but that was entirely too bizarre for me. There was no, “Hello.” Or even a, “Good evening.” I can not believe this guy thought that was an acceptable introductory greeting.
I replied, “Honestly, I found it to be forward and creepy since we don’t know each other. I wish you luck finding a match.”
“I think you misinterpreted my comedic style email about a thought experiment of how men think when we see a pretty girl and react with romance laden thoughts of love and affection as if we fast forwarded through courting to a point in the relationship where friendship develops into partners.”Huh? A comedic thought experiment? You have got to be kidding me. I didn’t find any of it particularly funny.
It has been said that there is a fine line between genius and insanity. This guy seemed to have crossed that line.
“It didn’t come across as comedic. You might want to rethink your approach. Best of luck to you.”
“We are what our genes say we are and if it’s a smiling, happy, pretty girl that lifts us to happiness to want to live another day, then the Cosmos has set forth profound physical laws and properties to help ensure the survival of our species. A gentleman knows to look but not touch unless given permission. The Devil doesn’t make us, the Cosmos does. You’re probably just another fake profiler that doesn’t know the difference between E=mc2 and their hat size. Just sayin’… CyberEinstein.”You’re freaking nuts! And obviously, the Cosmos is slacking big time, because you’ve survived this long.
I loved his slam on my integrity and intelligence. I think I will refer to him as “CyberNutJob.” And the Cosmos did not make me say it, nor did the Devil. I did it all on my own without consulting my genetic code or altering the space-time continuum.

The next bachelor did not want to take “no” for an answer. He was within my age range. However, we had nothing in common based on our profiles. Absolutely positively nothing.
Every picture posted was shirtless. And most were old pictures. They looked like Polaroids from the ’70s. His profile and his emails were written in all capital letters. So, he was lazy on top of everything else. I apologize for the caps, but I want to give you the true essence of the exchange.
“JULIET…LET ME BE YOUR ROMEO.”
“We do not have enough in common. I wish you luck finding a match.”
“ROMEO NEEDS YOU…I’LL COME TO YOU….I PROMISE I’M AS GOOD AS ADVERTISED…ONLY 10 TIMES BETTER!”
“No, thank you.”
“ROMEO CAN’T BE ROMEO WITHOUT YOU.”
I did not reply.
Two days later, he sent, “I KNOW…YOU SAID NO…I DO RESPECT THAT…BUT I TRUELY BELIEVE YOU MISSED JUDGED ME.”No, I definitely did not. All I want to do is correct your grammar, spelling and punctuation.
“You do not respect me because you keep contacting me. My answer is no.”
“I DO RESPECT…BUT COULD YOU TELL ME WHY…MAYBE I’LL LEARN SOMETHING. BE NICE.”Oh my God! Seriously? Okay, buddy, you asked for it. And I’ll try to be as nice as possible.
“No, you really don’t respect me because you insist on making me justify my answer. You are not my type, and I am not attracted to you. You have cats. You smoke. You want children. You have so many grammatical errors in your profile, I lost track. You indicate that you will become violent when defending loved ones. You posted shirtless pictures only. And last, but not least, you refuse to take ‘no’ for an answer. Nothing you say will cause me to change my mind. Please do not contact me again.”
Well, you know he did. But I ignored him, and he eventually went away. Ugh!

The next bachelor was a retired lawyer. He was well out of my age range.
“Good looking, sometimes charming, generally well-behaved lawyer calling.”
“You have a dog, and I am severely allergic to dogs. I wish you luck finding a match.”
“Pity. Outside of my dog we are a pretty good romantic prospect. I’m as pretty as you, and as smart, creative, sophisticated and wealthy as you’ll find in these parts. Don’t rule me out on the onset.”
Friends, he was not as pretty as me. Not even close. God forgive me, but the way he styled his red hair made him look like a clown. Not quite Stephen King’s, It, clown, more like a circus clown.
“My reaction to animals is anaphylactic. So I can not be around them or people who own them. Best of luck.”
“I have a solution! No hugging, kissing, or ETC. pending the occurrence of at least one of the following:
1) You become uncontrollably driven to hug, kiss, or etc. with me so as to suffer a bad reaction notwithstanding.In your freaking dreams!
2) You become gradually (and miraculously) acclimated. (I GROW ON YOU)You would grow on me like a flesh-eating disease!
3) You take a Sudafed or other effective medication. (I will pay for testing and treatment- ha ha)Over-the-counter meds don’t work for anaphylaxis, moron.
4) I take a ridiculously thorough bath beforehand. (You can watch!)Yuck!!! I shudder at the mere thought. You could not pay me to watch.
5) My poor dog dies.I pity that dog for having to put up with you.
6) We give it a CAREFUL AND JUDICIOUS TRY.Oh sure, because you’re not the one risking your life. Easy for you to say, “Let’s give it a shot.” You’re not the one who could die.
Let’s meet for coffee, sweetness, I promise you won’t get the hives!”Not if you were the last man on earth!
Life with this guy would consist of one idiotic, never-ending argument after another. Talk about exhausting.
“I am not persuaded by your arguments. Anaphylaxis is not like a regular allergy. There is no medication I can take to avoid it. I am sorry, but my answer is still no. I wish you luck finding a match.”
“I know perfectly well the effects of anaphylactic shock. It is after all, an allergic reaction, which is not unique to yourself. Changes in your physical environment could ameliorate the symptoms. In addition to physical factors, the power of the mind cannot be ignored and can produce remarkable things.”Sure! Let me just mentally will my throat not to close and miraculously stop myself from dying due to the lack of oxygen. Gee, why didn’t I think of that before??? If it was that easy, I would have tried it with the cowboy from a few posts back. I would not waste my newly-discovered superpowers on the likes of you.
I did not reply because I knew he would keep arguing. He sent four more emails. I ignored each one.
Then, a short time later, he sent the same initial email to me. But another quickly followed. It read, “Oops forgot! You’re the anti-dog screwball, never mind.”
As I shook my head in dismay, a little voice beckoned to me. Behold! It is a jar of Nutella® calling my name. Mmm…hazelnuts – the kind of nuts a girl can truly love!

Welcome to another installment of my “Mis-Matched to Miss Matched” series! The Match bachelors in this post were all born outside of the United States.
Indiana’s state motto is “The Crossroads of America.” And apparently, we are creating quite the melting pot in Indianapolis. Diversity is a good thing for “Honest-to-Goodness Indiana.” If you know me, you know I love learning about new cultures and traditions.
Many of you also know that my ex-husband is Indian. His family is from the Punjab region in India. Yes, we had an Indian wedding.
Anyway…I was contacted by bachelors from fourteen different countries, including India, Pakistan, Greece, Lebanon, Iran, England, Japan and Canada.
Somehow, I attracted all of the Indian men within a fifty-mile radius. And 99% of them were doctors. Amazingly enough, they were deep into poetry and spirituality. As a poet, that intrigued me, because, let’s face it, most men are not keen on poetry.
The conversations were interesting, enlightening and intellectual. One of the guys was even Punjabi. He was thrilled beyond belief that I knew what that meant. However, there was an element lacking with each and every one—chemistry.
So let’s move on to merry old England. The phone conversation with the English guy was so awful it was like pulling teeth. I started fantasizing about my own version of My Fair Lady. I would be a kind professor teaching this brute of a man how to become a real gentleman.
The Iranian, a self-advertised non-smoker, had a smoker’s cough so bad, I thought he’d cough up a lung during our phone conversation. I felt compelled to lecture him on the dangers of smoking. But that would have required me to listen to him cough longer. Ugh.
The Pakistani bachelor’s profile pictures portrayed a tall, dark and handsome man. He seemed nice on the phone, but I couldn’t understand him most of the time. He sent me pictures of flowers. He said it was his way of giving me flowers. Sweet. But I did not grant him a live date. I knew I would have spent the entire night asking him to repeat himself. That wouldn’t have been enjoyable for either of us.
The Greek candidate passed the phone interview. In person, he was gorgeous. Perfect olive complexion, thick black curly hair and a smile that almost knocked me over. He walked with confidence and had a magnificent personality. But alas, he wanted babies. Lots and lots of babies.Why does God hate me?!? Why???
Then there was the bachelor from Japan. His introductory email read: “Hello! Have you traveled to Japan? What kind of cooking do you like? Do you like sushi?”
My mind answered quickly, “No, I haven’t. The kind of cooking someone else does. Sushi? Way to stereotype yourself.” Sheesh.
His height was listed as 5’1”. I’m almost 5’7”. And I don’t wear flats. Even my flip flops are wedges. Talk about an odd couple. With my lowest heels being two inches, we would be eight inches different in height. He would look like my child, not my date. That’s all sorts of wrong.
The Lebanese bachelor was great on the phone. In person, he literally looked like Andre the Giant. Albeit, he was a bit shorter at 6’6”. He was boorish and drank like a fish. I stopped counting after six mixed drinks in less than an hour and a half. I would have left sooner, but it took forever to get the food. Hey, a girl has to eat. The redeeming feature of the night was that the food was good.
The French Canadian guy took the cake. Period. Hands down winner.
“I would love to get to know you more better and see how it goes between us, I am mixed race, Dad Canada, Mum America. I lived in Canada all my life.”
I laughed as I read it. But based on the rest of the email, I knew he was serious about the “mixed race” part. After the initial email exchange, he revealed that he was working in Africa. He would require me to move to Canada as soon as possible to help raise his young son.Move to Canada? To raise his son while he’s in Africa? Um, no!
“I’m sorry, but long distance relationships don’t work for me. I wish you luck finding a match.”
I figured that would be the end of that. Au contraire, mes amis.
“I quite understand how you mean but I seriously do not see distance as a barrier in a relationship in as much as true love and affection till the end of time.”
“I’m sorry, no.”
“I believe things happen for a reason, a connection happens when the right person comes.”
“I’m sorry. I will not move to Canada. I am not the right person for you.”
“Just thought it would be a nice idea to know some things about each other, it will be my pleasure to get to know more about you and answer the following love questions.”
There were thirty-eight “love questions” that followed. Thirty-eight! There were basic questions, such as, “What do you seek in a relationship?” But there were slightly ambiguous questions, such as, “Do you like public intimacy?”
I wasn’t sure if he was asking about public displays of affection or if I liked having sex in public places.
The very last question on his “love questions” list was, “Would you hit your man for any reason?”
I wanted to answer, “Yes, if he repeatedly ignored every word I said and sent me a list of thirty-eight ‘love questions’ to answer even though I’m clearly not interested. In that case, I might have to smack him upside the head.”
Instead, my reply to his “love questions” email was simple. “Non. Non, merci. Bonne chance à vous.”
And that was finally the end of that. Maybe he just didn’t understand “no” in English.